Inner Demons
by cateliot
Summary: While on the run, Annabeth questions one of Thalia's scars. A look into the trio's relationship on the run before they met Grover. Implied Thalia/Luke. A oneshot. Complete.


**A/N: All the characters, ideas, and plot lines belong to Rick Riordan and associates. Just a little oneshot focused on Thalia, Luke, and Annabeth. A little bit of implied Thalia/Luke. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think, good or bad! Please review.**

 _ **Inner Demons**_

Thalia rung the rainwater out of her dripping wet hair as she moved into the tent. "I told you it was going to rain," she grumbled towards Luke who was attempting to salvage the firewood they had collected.

He didn't look up, but she could hear his muttered response under his breath.

"Can you get her changed into something dry?" Thalia called, nodding towards the wet to the bone eight year old Annabeth who was shivering watching the two argue.

Luke nodded and abandoned the firewood and moved towards the bookbags near the corner of the selfmade tent as the rain relentlessly poured down. "Luke," the little girl whispered as he helped into a too big sweatshirt and dried her blonde, unruly curls. "Do you love Thalia?"

Luke raised an eyebrow with the odd question. "Of course," he said smoothly. "Just like I love you," he said, tapping her nose affectionately.

The girl smiled broadly. "Even when she's mad at you?" Her grey eyes were wide and intent on his face.

Luke leaned towards her and nodded towards Thalia, who was working on the firewood away from them. "Even when's she mad at me and being annoying, but don't tell her." He held his finger up to lips with a smirk and the girl smiled.

"I heard that!"

Annabeth giggled and moved over to the fire that the seventeen year old had managed to start. "Do we have anything for dinner?" she questioned happily, moving close to the flames, their light reflecting off her face.

"Let's see if we can scrounge up something hmm?" Luke said, running his hands together like a chef ready to prepare a five course meal.

An hour later with a meal of a can of beans, Annabeth sat on Thalia's lap, her eyes carefully reading the pages of the book she had read over and over again, long enough to know every word by heart. She abandoned the aged paged for Thalia's hand.

Annabeth traced over the old razor scars on her wrist. The feeling was strange to the raven haired girl who watched her silent, not moving as the younger child leaned back in Thalia's lap, her head warm on Thalia's chest.

Finally the blonde haired girl spoke.

"Thalia?"

"Hmm?" she asked quietly, though she knew exactly what would come next.

"Did a monster do that to you?" she said curiously.

Even from across the room, Thalia could feel Luke's intense gaze on her. Thalia swallowed the bile at the back of her throat before an answer came out.

"Yeah, kiddo, a bad one."

A look of sadness overcame the girl.

"Oh."

"It's all right though," Thalia assured her after a moment, "I killed it and it won't be coming back any time soon." The words seemed to reassure the girl and after a few moments she was fast asleep. With Luke's help, Annabeth was tucked into a cot near the back of the tent.

Thalia slid down next to her companion and there was only the sound of the rain as the two listened their ward's breathing.

"I can't do this without you, you know," Luke said after a while. His voice was barely above a whisper, almost unheard in the sound of the assault from the sky. His hand covered hers, feeling the ground beneath Thalia's palm.

"It was a long time ago," Thalia deflected, not meeting his eyes.

"It had to be hard," Luke began, "with your mother's boyfriends and their—"

"I wouldn't leave you, Luke, you know that," she breathed, turning to face him.

Luke swallowed at her intense gaze. "Good," he managed, "because you, with your awful taste in music and death metal references that I never get, and your kick ass sword techniques, and your beautiful eyes, and your demons, _saved me_."

The two didn't notice that their previously sleeping girl save their lips touch.


End file.
